Remembering Camelot: A Novel By Dawn Summers
by Verna
Summary: Sixteen years after the Gift, Buffy can't remember who she really is and Dawn is all grown up. D/S and B/A I am redoing this entire fic and I'm gonna finally finish it.


Disclaimers: I do not own nor do I claim to own any of the Buffy the vampire Slayer names or characters. They all belong to Joss W.  
  
Spoilers: post season 5 for Buffy and season 2 for Angel.  
  
Pairings: Dawn/Spike, Buffy/Angel  
  
Summery: Sixteen years after the Gift, Buffy can't remember anything about her life before and Dawn is growing up.  
  
Note from the Author: I was inspired to write this about two months ago. I started it then I went on vacation and forgot about it. I am attempting to go back and finish it now. Please review it to tell me how you like it or don't like it.   
***  
Some one once told me that when you write something, that you should paint a picture in the mind of the readers. I have never claimed to be a great artist but for some strange reason, my works sell. Now then, allow me to try and paint a picture for you:  
  
I was fourteen and at the moment this scene was caught in the mind's eye, I lay on my bed with tears streaming down my face and a small teddy bear clasped o my chest. It was a small bear my sister had given me for my sixth birthday. It was as big only as Spike's hand.  
  
Spike himself stood outside in the hall with Giles trying to talk me in to coming out of the room. They yelled and pounded and grew angry and spoke with soft pleading voices. I ignored them.   
  
So did Willow and Tara who sat in our living room trying some spell or other that would bring her back. They sat across from each other with chalk markings all over the floor and pictures of Buffy all over the ground along with the clothes she died in and hair from her brush. I didn't think the spell would work. At the time t didn't seem to have worked at all.  
  
Xander and Anya had gone home to change but were soon coming back. Anya was confused at how we all seemed to be dealing with the loss in different ways. "Why can't we all just act the same?" She asked. Because then we'd all be dead.  
  
I wished at the time that everyone would just disappear and that I could just get away from all the people and places that reminded me of my mother and sister. Little did I know how soon I would get my wish and how much I would regret making that wish.  
  
Two weeks after that, my father, Hank Summers, came to 'collect' me as he said. He wanted me to go with him. Giles took him to court saying Hank was a bad father who we never heard from but the jury ruled in my father's favor. Giles fought it for six months but the courts still said I had to go with this man I did not know.   
  
We all cried a lot and talked long into the night before I had to go. The only person who didn't say much was Spike which was very odd. At one point during the night he took me by the arm and led me to a quite corner where we could talk.  
  
"You'll never know how much your sister loved you. She loved you so much that she asked me to look out for you. It was as if she knew what would happen. Hey, look at me. Can I se that beautiful Summer's smile before you go? I'll always be there for you Dawn."  
  
"I can't do this, Spike", I sobbed.  
  
"Hey. Come on ,Nibblet. Camelot's gone but we're still here. You still have your friends even if your Arthur is gone." I smiled at this.   
  
The next day my 'father'and I set out. I never could bring myself to call him anything but Hank. He seemed to hate it but never said anything. I think in his own small way he really did miss mom. Maybe he wasn't the cold and uncaring bastard we all thought he was.  
  
For the next four years, the two of us traveled all over the world. Rome, Egypt, Greece, Paris, Spain, China, Germany. No matter where we went I always thought about those days back in our own little Camelot. With everyone together.  
  
A few months after Buffy died I got the Moulin Rouge soundtrack as a gift from Spike. I didn't think it was much like him to do it but when I opened the case, I saw in his handwriting, A note.  
  
TRACK 8  
  
And so I put the CD in my little CD player and turned on track 8. I noticed that it was called "someday I'll Fly Away." I'd never heard it before but after I listened to it the first time I understood why he sent it to me. He knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to leave and find my way home.  
  
I listened to that song so much I broke the CD and when I did, I cried for hours. I was slowly learning to adjust to this new crazy lifestyle but I still held that Camelot in my heart. I'd always walk around the hotel room or apartment or what ever we were staying in at the time singing under my breath.   
  
"Some day I'll fly way. Leave all this to yesterday. Why live life from dream to dream, and dread the day when dreams end?" It nearly drove Hank crazy!  
  
And it never failed that when I needed a friend or simply something familiar, Spike seemed to appear out of the shadows and spend the night talking with me and keeping me up to date on the what was happening with the slayeretts. I don't know how I could have gotten trough those years without him.  
  
When I turned 18, We were in London. Legally I could live alone so when Hank left on night to get drunk and play cops with his whores, I slipped off and set off to find my own Camelot.  
  
I was alone in London. I didn't know any one. But then I remembered Spike telling me how Willow was training to be a watcher. Last I'd heard she was living in a little house some where outside of the city.   
  
I was scared. For a moment I wondered if this was really what I wanted. Did I honestly want to get involved with these people? But how could I stay away?  
  
I picked up a phone book. I looked under her last name but then I realized that Spike and said she'd changed her last name. Smith. It seems she wanted to disappear into the masses. Again I felt fear. Would she want to see me? I took a deep breath and dialed her number. It rang once. Twice. "Willow Smith", I heard her say.  
  
"Willow?" My voice shook. "Hey, It's me. Dawn. I know-"  
  
"-Dawn! Oh my God! Where are? What's wrong? Are you OK? Are you sick? where's Hank?"  
  
"I'm fine. I'm in London. And nothing's wrong. I just sort of need somewhere to stay."  
  
"Oh my god! I'll be right there!" She paused. "Where is there?" I grinned.  
  
When I hung up the phone I found a bench near by and sat down to wait. I watched the people go by. A woman with her baby who wanted to play on the swings across the street. The man in the suit who was looking at me. I didn't care about any of it. I treated this crowd like any other. I searched every face for her nose, her eyes, her ears. Buffy's face seemed every where. On ever body I saw. But it was never really her.  
  
When Willow pulled up in a shiny green convertible i smiled again. I felt like an idiot. She got out of the car and pulled me into a big hug. "Dawnie! I hadn't heard from you in so long. And then to get a call out of no where! My god! look at you! You're so tall!"  
  
We both got into the car and Willow began to pepper me with questions. Where was Hank? How was I? Did i have any bags I needed to grab from somewhere? No. I wanted to get all new stuff. I had money and wanted to truly start over. Willow understood this. She smiled and said that we'd go shopping tomorrow.  
  
As we pulled up to her nice little cottage she had to interrupt me. "I'm sorry the house is so messy" she began. "I have a teenager living with me and she's the messiest person I have ever met!"  
  
"What? Who's living with you?"  
  
"I'm a watcher." She stated. "She's the Slayer."  
  
"Oh. But Buffy never lived with Giles."  
  
"Yeah well Jenna's folks aren't the best and so I said she should come live with me."  
  
She pushed the door open and called up the stairs. "Jenna! Are you up yet? Come on, Dawn. You can use the guest room. The bathroom's down there and towels are in the cupboard. Dinner's in a half hour and It's five thirty now. Jenna!"  
  
"What? What the hell did I do now?" Sneered the very tall girl in the door frame of the room next to mine.  
  
"Dinner's in thirty and don't swear." She sounded so motherly.  
  
"I didn't swear" came the reply.  
  
Willow rolled her eyes. "Jenna, this is Dawn Summers. She gonna be staying with us for a while." With that she marched back down stairs. Jenna gave me a pointed surveying look before she turned into her room. I sighed and went to shower.  
  
When I went down to dinner, Willow was alone at the table drinking tea and reading the evening edition of the paper. What was it about tea and watchers I wondered.  
  
"Hey" I said coming in. "Where's Jane or whatever her name is?"  
  
"Jenna is late. Get used to it. So. Tell me about everything!"  
  
"So, what's wrong with Jenna's parents? Can't be worse than mine."  
  
"My folks are dead" Came Jenna's voice from behind me. "Dinner ready? I think I found a nest of- of- birds! Yes. Bloody birds are nesting out in my tree again." she said trying to cover it. She cast an uncertain glance at her watcher.  
  
"She knows. Her sister was a slayer. A very good friend of mine. I'll have to tell you about her sometime."  
  
Jenna's eyes widened. "Oh."  
  
  
I nodded and Willow went out to grab the food. Jenna stared at me. It was weird.  
  
I was more hungry than I realized because I tucked away almost as much food as Xander would have in my place. Jenna ate equally as well. Willow began asking her about the nest as soon as she showed signs of slowing down enough to speak.  
  
"Where? How long they been there? What do you know about them? How many are there?"  
  
"In the old cemetery. Don't know. Nothing. One. Says his name is Spike or something equally stupid. Kinda tall. blue eyes. Goes around wearing a long old coat."  
  
"Spike!" I exclaimed. "God! I haven't seen him since- Since- Since Berlin! You can't kill him, Jenna" I said.  
  
"Well why the hell not? he's a Vamp isn't he?"  
  
"yeah but Dawn's right. You can't kill him. He's killed two slayers already."  
  
"Yeah so then s'ouldnt that give me another excuse to kill 'im?" Jenna sneered.  
  
"No!" Willow and I shouted. "He's cool! Tells great stories!" I said. "He is a friend of ours." said Willow.   
  
Jenna seemed confused by this statement but just shrugged and said, "A friend?"  
  
And so, a few hours later, I found myself walking along with Willow the witch and watcher and Jenna the slayer and Faith act-alike. I was headed for Spike's crypt like I'd done so many times in the 'Camelot days.'  
  
"Now, Jenna. No staking him when we're not looking."  
  
"I Got it."  
  
I lapsed into thought as the slayer and her watcher talked about Spike. Willow was telling her about him and Angel and I was thinking about how I hadn't seen him since last year.  
  
As we approached the door to his crypt I could hear him singing at the top of his lungs in a very tone-deaf manner a song of the Moulin Rouge soundtrack we'd listened to together so many times.  
  
"We could be heroes just for one day! La! La! LA! We should be Lovers! We should be lovers and that's a fact! La! LA! La! We could be heroes for ever and ever. We could be heroes for ever and ever!"  
  
I knocked. It made an empty hallow sound that echoed in the night air. Glancing behind me I saw Willow whisper something to Jenna who reached into her coat and pulled out a stake to show her. I wasn't supposed to see that. So Willow still didn't trust Spike. Not surprising. Not many of the Scoobies did.  
  
He came over and before he even opened the door, I could see how his coat swung as he walked. I could see his almost confused almost puppy like face as he tried to figure out who was at the door.  
  
It swung open and he stood there gaping at me.  
  
"Dawn!"  
  
Rage boiled inside of me. I hadn't seen him in almost seven months and all he can say is my damned name!  
  
"How dare you! Where the hell were you? I se you for one night in Berlin and suddenly on one seems to know what the hell happened to you! Why didn't you call me or something! 'What are you? An immortal idiot?'" I demanded using my favorite quote from Anne Rice. He backed up and fell down to the floor. I saw Jenna out of the corner of my eye pull the stake out ready to dust him if she needed to.   
  
"Where the hell were you!? I was waiting for you and you never came! Didn't you get my letters?"  
  
"Come on Dawn. I got them but I didn't think you'd want to see me after what I'd done."  
  
"What the hell do you mean after what you'd done?"  
  
"Oh. he. he. I uh, got the chip taken out."  
  
"Have you killed any one?" I asked not really wanting to know.  
  
"No." He looked sheepish.  
  
Yes. Breakdowns are good. I needed that. Jenna put her stake away.  
  
And so I found Spike again. Jenna thought Willow and I were crazy for trusting a vampire. (I know Willow didn't really trust him We had a long talk about it. I won. She pretended to trust him.) Especially one who had killed two slayers and countless regular people. But I had him back after almost six months of not seeing him. I was happy to spend the rest of my days writing the novel I had begun and help Jenna slay.   
  
It was not to be. A week later, Willow and Jenna were summoned before the council of watchers. The Hellmouth remained unguarded with Faith living in L. A. working with Angel Investigations. The counsel decided that Jenna should go to Sunnydale and take over the job Buffy had left open when she died.  
  
They were to leave within the week. I decided to go with them and Spike said he would follow me to the ends of the earth to make sure I was safe from evil. I was going to see what reminded of my old Camelot and try and start a new one.  
  
***  
  
That was twelve years ago. I am a writer now with that first book selling very well and hitting New York Times best seller lists. As time went on I wrote six other novels all of which did very well and I began to date Spike. I loved him dearly and I knew that his love was timeless.  
  
Spike too took up writing as a hobby. He wrote tales of a vampire named Pike who traveled across the globe killing and such. People loved his wild stories but only a few knew how true they were. How he really did these things. But to the world the vampire in the books was only the imagination of an author called 'William the Bloody'.  
  
When Jenna died a year after our big move, Willow stuck around Sunnydale for the next two slayers who came to protect and die for the Hellmouth. When both of them died without ever reaching age sixteen, She retired from the consul. The stress was too much on her and at the age of 36 she had graying hair.  
  
Giles on the other hand had gone on to not only be hire back by the council but became the head of it in 2007 when news broke all over the world that vampires were real. It was a secret kept for centuries and now the entire world knew they were real.  
  
The FBI came out and said that they'd known about them for years and the Initiative that had been hidden under UC Sunnydale now came to the Surface. Anne Rice's book suddenly stopped selling when people realized the truth and Spike's books which were now known to be true sold more than any other book except the bible.   
  
My book sales too had picked up because they were the slayers' tales that I'd gathered from all of Giles's books. From what I heard, Angel's investigation agency was over run with business and had to hire a lot more people and so they employed Xander and Anya along with Tara and Fred.  
  
Of course, He was without Cordlia for much of the time too. She had married Gunn around the same time her acting career picked up. She had resigned herself to being an extra for ever on the every day she got the role which would later lead her to win best supporting actress. The happy couple was expecting their first child in only a few weeks.  
  
The government, meanwhile, began to do all sorts of weird experiments on the vampires that they could catch. Many killed themselves rather than be killed in experiments run by the FBI. They injected vampires with holy water and cut off a toe to put in the sun. They snapped their necks and watched them scream in pain as they twisted it back into place. Spike said that he was very glad that the government thought he still had a chip in his head.  
  
Things really were changing faster than any of us had ever imagined it could. Oz became the next Bill Gates and was always giving money to help fight demons and find a cure for werewolfism. In the spring of 2007, he call Willow out of the blue and they started going out again. Tara had found herself a nice girl from Maine who had come to fight the demons.  
  
Some things on the other hand never change. Hank was constantly coming to me for money then disappearing within hours which was fine with me. It wasn't quite Camelot, but it was as close as we could ever come to it again. Sans Buffy of course.  
  
One day as Spike and I were walking along we began to talk about how different everything was. I knew we both had changed a lot. We both had grown up in different ways.  
  
"Did you see how he was running away from me? As if I was some sort of Demon. It's so weird, Spike. I'm the key but there is no lock anymore. Why are people afraid of me?" People had also learned about my being the key when the news of real vampires came to light.  
  
"They don't under stand you Pet. Things change. I remember when you were cutting yourself to see if you were real and now look at the world. People know about the demons and vampires. I never thought I'd see the day."  
  
"Things sure are different. It's amazing how things could change so much is such a short amount of time."  
  
"Don't bother telling me about change. I remember when women didn't even have the vote."  
  
"Yeah but you're old. I didn't think I'd ever see this sort of thing happen."  
  
"Thanks luv"  
  
"No. I mean, Spike you are almost 200 years old for crying out loud. Of course times change but how fast they change is the issue here."  
  
"Yeah. I guess you're right, pet"  
  
When we reached the large house which we shared with the current Slayer and her watcher, we found said slayer sprawled in front of the TV watching some girl singing on MTV while her watcher was cooking dinner.  
  
"Hey, Juli. When you leaving?"  
  
"Trying to get rid of me so you two can sneak up to your room and-"  
  
"-Juli! Dinner's ready!" called Mrs. H. as we all called her. Spike smirked at her and we followed her into the kitchen to eat.  
  
"Hey, guess what! "the teen demanded. "Jo Murray is gonna be in town next week! Can I go se the concert?"  
  
"We'll see" said Mrs. H.  
  
"Who's Jo Murray?" I asked. I understood Juli's need for some normalcy in life. "Would I like it?"  
  
"You might. She's really cool. That singer who has like five CDs and she lives in L. A. I saw her once. She was out shopping with her mom."   
  
"When was this?" Mrs. H asked.  
  
"Last year when I went to help fight that army of vengeance demons. Her mom looks like you, Dawn." I smiled.  
  
"I'll go with you. It sounds like fun. Or am I too uncool for that?" Mrs. H scowled at me.  
  
"Oh. No! I'd love for you to come!" she seemed really pleased that she could go.  
  
"Well then, It's a date." said Spike. "I'll see if I can get us some tickets."  
  
"Who said you were invited?" she asked playfully.  
  
"If you want to go, I'm the only way you can get tickets. I happen to know that concert is sold out." Spike responded.  
  
"Fine fine."  
  
It's amazing how one simple little thing could turn our long-steady world into chaos.   
***  
"All right. Are we all set? got my keys and my money to buy stupid stuff with. Now what am I forgetting?" Said the bleached blonde vampire.  
  
"The tickets?" said Juli a little more than annoyed.  
  
"Right" he said. "All set then?" Juli rolled her eyes.  
  
It was just the three of us. I didn't have a clue as to how Spike had gotten the tickets to the show. It had been sold out for months. Jo Murray was the top singer in the world. Her hit single being the one about killing vampires was the biggest selling album ever.  
  
"So," I said sliding my arm through his. "How did we get tickets to a sold out show?"   
  
"Well, I really like being a vampire. I mean. People respect that." It made me want to slap the grin off his face. "And besides. The girl's mum is a big fan of your book on Buffy. Says it reminds her a lot of something. Mind you the woman has amnesia."  
  
"Thanks Spike." I smiled at him and when he smiled back I melted. Good I loved that man.  
  
"So, Juli, you ready to hangout backstage?"  
  
"What?" she squealed. He gave me his lop-sided grin and continued.   
  
"Oh. Didn't I tell 'ya? I got us backstage passes." He leaned over. "It helps being a Vamp with a name." Juli thought he was saying something else and began giggling.  
  
I rolled my eyes which seemed to confirm her ideals.  
  
****  
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